Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-07

a Citizens Association.
DR. rovEJoY THINKS THAT TOO MUCH LAND n BKrse
LAID OUT IN THE srBUKss-surrSe BY rHE Acrs
AND SHILLING BIT THE Foor-crurR nArssm
TALKED or.
Improvements inside and outside OF the city fur
nished the principal topic OF discussion last even
Ing al the meeting OF Citizens Association No. X
which was held NJ the Lutheran Memorial Chufcs
naiL Ihis subject was suggested by the following
report from the committee on streets and avenues
reao oy The Chairman. DIR. J. W. II. Loveloy:
STREETS AND AvKNrEs
According to the statement OF Can't. Eurenl
Grinln, as round in THE EVENING STAR of Aprfi
4th, Comptroller Durhams decision throws our
nues about 500 600. And he states that the north
west section Is likely TO suffer the most heavily.
Inc decision that New Jersey avenue shall be
paved 70 Boundary street viii take s4a 600 from the
el3e 800 appropriated by the schedule OF the CON-
IN, 40 northwest section, leaving 50. 500
our Immediate section VIII receive SIC 800 that is
$500 for the Improvement az 18th street, from.
Rhode Island avenue 20 Vermont avenue, and
$4,000 Tor the Improvement OF 10th street. from X
10 street. BY personal inspection OF some OF
following are In need OF improvement:
street. from 18th to l4th streets requires re-
pairs, the pavement being full OF holes. ON 18th
street, from TO = the concrete is worn into holes
ON 18th, rrom U TO Boundary THERE'S merely dirs
road, but on this there Is no building except
church recently erected I street is macadamized
New York avenue, between l4th and 18th streets
needs repairs, especially about the railway tracks
L street and the streets between it and Boundary,
running east and west, are dirt roads. street
from vermont avenue 10 18th, 10Th street, from
Rhode Island avenue out, and q street, between
Vermont avenue and 10th street, are an
X street out is macadamized, and nth
street nom street out is a cobble-stone pave
ment In very bad condition especially between the
railway tracks and adjoining them This inspec-
tlon has not been complete, and we have no doubt
that some repairs are needed in other streets In
our section. We have noticed since making the
above inspection that some OF the streets named
are undergoing repairs. IL may not be amiss here
10 call attention TO the fact, shown In the last
section contains Al per cent OF the citys area as
per cent OF the taxable property, and 81 per cent
II nothing more can be done for these streets
during the present season than what has been
announced I'm the published schedule OF the CON-
nissloners. your committee recommend that siren.
ucus Efforts be made by our executive COMMITTEES
10 Induce the authorities 10 make better provision
Ior Them In the next appropriation. Much OF the
property on these streets Is assessed high ne.
ureS, and II should be axiom that where the
heaviest taxes are paid there should be more ex-
pended IN the Improvements, ut least when they
It sounds wen TO say that we should do all we
can TO invite capitalists from abroad TO invest
should be permanent and the proceeds kept with
Us. But we have plenty OF knowledge OF gentle
men OF high financial ability engineering syndi.
Gates 10 buy up property outside the city limits
at the rate OF about five per foot or less and
then, by cunning use OF the Influence which they
Weld, procuring the improvement OF streets In
the vicinity and selling our simple citizens ateI
few years at 81 or more per foot, pocketing the
50 cents profit TO carry away 70 their own homes
Ike the circus and menagerfe men. IL matters
were LETT 10 the usual, natural, or the politico-
economical course OF development and not sub
mitted TO this hotbed process OF enforcement,
We would ind our city growing within its present
ample limits, and increasing In beauty and con-
venienceS without the incessant cry for more
ways, and last not least, Better gas: and and when
the proper time arrived, then perforce the bounds
would be naturally and easily oyerleaped and the
SUBURBAN property brought within our limits tn
It's own proper and our convenient season.
That we have abundant room within our present
bounds Will be evident by comparison with other
cities Take New York for example, In seven
wards OF that city the average population TO the
acrewas, in 1850 $50. In one ward, the fourteenth,
the average TO the acre was OBS, and the general
average in all the wards, 4s.4s 10 the acre In
these averages OF course all the waste ground the
vast Central Park and other parks were Included.
The population or our city, including Georgetown,
by the police census OF 1885, was 49, ,9sS and the
average 10 the acre was 2S.69. The area OF WASH
ington, including Georgetown, is 6550 acres. II
this area peopled as thickly as the average OF
the whole area Included within the bounds OF the
city OF New York, IL would contain 81 44 people.
Now We must remember that there is great deal
OF unoccupied ground I'm the city OF New YORK STU
waiting TO be built upon.
II our city were peoped as thickly as the aver
age or the seven wards before mentioned, it would
contain 73l 800 people and II It were crowded a.
the fourteenth ward OF New York Is IL would Gun.
II such is our capacity. what reason can there Do
for stretching our bounds further and burdenine
ourselves with heavier, and probably ru1nouS tax.
alton.
IL people want TO build country villas conyen.
lent TO the city let them build them, and let the
authorities give them convenient access By good
country roads at cost In proportion 70 their as.
sesSment and taxation. Let them have their
springs and their wells and their Delightful sold
oaken buckets" and then leave them 70 enjoy
a mot A6lv ank
upon their retirement and quietude with our city
Improvements" until our growth absolutely re-.
Quires that We should do so.
We hope we have not degenerated to thatdeQree
OF slavery that we fear 10 resist any encrosch-
ments upon our rights because We are told by one
Congress our own views OF what Is best for us that
We Will become the aversion OF that body ana lOse
It's assist ance In promoting the prosperity OF tho
we have no doubt that on1cials IN power CON
slider every man nuisance who presuInes To In
terfere with their plans or 70 question their au-
thority.
IL is true that the management OF our affairs Is
now intrusted to an autocracy OF three headA or
each with his own separate head and body. FOR our
three rulers seem TO have divided our interests into
three parts, OF which each has assumed to himself
one. This may be In some respects preferable 10
the late privilege OF suffrage which we were SUD-
posed enjoy, but IT cannot be denied that IL Is
cept it for the present as the best we can get there
is no reason why we should not keep q vigflant
guard over our own rights and interests and let
our governors and congressman know that we In
tend TO do SO, while we repudtAte the accusation
that we are organized only Tor opposition and TO
Quarrel with somebody.
THE PUBLIC sCHooLR
MI. 2. Richards from the committee on schools
submitted the following report:
''The committee on schools hare held one meet
ing for consultation upon the many important
topics, which are forced upon their attention
They are pleased TO learn that their report made
at our last meeting has evidently done solne good
fnasmuch as the school authorities have been
doing more supervision than usual We are still
which we hope 70 bring before you at an early
day. We, therefore, present now only this brief
report OF progress"
PROT. Richards added that the committee would
be glad to receive suggestions from any OF ths
members OF the association giving the results Of
schools.
Mr.. Thomas Somerv1lle, referring TO the report
OF DR.. Lovejoy, said that the statement that the
northwest section paid 70 per cent OF the taxes
showed q rather unusual state OF Affairs He
would like to know what territory was meant by
the term northwest section
DIR. Lovejoy said that IL was all that portion on
the city west OF North Capitol street and north az
due west line from the Capitol, including IVES
Mr.. Someryille said he thought that e was q
very large percentage OF the total taxes
Prof Richards said that while this section bore
heavy share OF the taxation yet IL received fully
that percentage OF the profit OF the business that
was centered In this section. He thought rhat on
this ground tt would be unjust 20 Demand = pro-
portion OF the improvements based upon thfa Iex.
centage. He said that In the confederation OF